Cursed
by Nienna Calmcacil
Summary: Link finds a strange man stalking him one day. After finding him again, he is attacked by the man whom he discovers is a werewolf. Now Link is bitten...and there's only one way to end the curse...
1. Attack

* * *

Chapter One: Attack

Link entered the beautiful courtyard. His good friend was indeed there, just as her nursemaid Impa had said. Link walked through the green grass, the gentle sound of flowing water in the air. The blonde princess looked up from her book with a smile.

"So, what are you doing here? You're not welcome," she teased. Link returned her smile with a grin, and sat down next to her.

"I'll make myself welcome if I have to." He replied. Zelda raised a slender eyebrow.

"And what exactly what the hero do to make himself welcome?" she asked, amused. Link smiled and kissed her gently on the lips. Zelda though about it and said, "That'll do."

Link noticed the princess's book. The book was folded in her lap, the title shown clearly on it; "Curses and Evils of the World". Link looked at Zelda questioningly.

"I've decided to change the style I'm reading, at least for now." She explained. "This book tells about all sorts of things that express horror. For example, it reveals many sorts of curses and their symptoms, and some of the darkest monsters like vampires and demons. The strange thing is that this book isn't to amuse me…these things really exist. And since I'm a spell caster, I want to be ready for when it happens."

Link thought this through and nodded. Zelda always wanted to be ready for things like this, ever since the horrible reign of Ganondorf. Who knew when he could return? His remaining servants probably still did his will, so there was always some sort of his evil left in Hyrule.

The two friends talked a little longer about random things, and then Link had to leave.

"I've got to pick up some things from the market, and then I need to stop by the forest and Kakariko Village to deliver some stuff. I'll talk to you later, perhaps."

"I understand. Watch yourself, Link." She said. It was strange what Zelda did sometimes. She never said a proper 'hello' or 'goodbye' to Link, ever. She didn't really need to. You could just tell by her other words when she was greeting you or not. The only times she ever did was if she was greeting some other important person, like the many suitors she was forced to meet. That was probably the worst thing that her father made her do, talking to all sorts of men who wanted to marry her. She was glad she could escape from that so easily.

Link kissed the princess goodbye, and then left the courtyard. He greeted some of the guards he passed, and they returned it, some of them even bowing to the Hero of Time. He was looked up to by many of the Hylian soldiers, since he was known for so many great deeds. Even many of the generals respected him.

* * *

The blonde hero left the Castle and followed the road to the market. Everyone greeted him as he entered the stone-paved streets. He noticed a strange man he hadn't seen before, watching him. The man looked many years older than Link, with his shaggy beard and long, untrimmed hair. The man had a disturbing grin on his face. Link ignored it, thinking it was a traveler who didn't come here often.

Link found the Bazaar and entered it. The shopkeeper greeted Link with a heavy pat on the back.

"Hey, my friend, Link! What does ya need from me too-day? A new shield, perhaps?"

Link smiled at the shopkeeper.

"Yes I do, but I need more than one. In fact, I need five of them." The shopkeeper's eyes widened in surprise.

"Eh…did you just say five? Five Hylian shields, you say?" Link nodded. The trader smiled, knowing this would give him a lot of money. But Link was his good friend, so he decided to give him a discount.

"Well, my friend, I'll help you out. Since these shields are 80 rupees each, I'll take them down to 50 a piece. That sounds good, eh?" Link smiled again.

"Thank you so much, my friend." The blonde hero said. "You really helped me out. Hmm…I also need some Deku Nuts, but please, I don't need a discount on them." The trader nodded thoughtfully. He took off twenty Deku nuts off the shelf and placed them in a box. He then went to his storage area and brought out five Hylian shields, taking three trips to carry them all. He placed everything in the box, and shoved the box over the counter to Link. The hero gave him 280 rupees; 250 for the shields, and 30 for the deku nuts.

"Thank you very much, sir." Link said. The shopkeeper nodded, but then looked at him thoughtfully.

"Are you sure you can carry that, lad? Five iron shields and twenty deku nuts…that will be mighty heavy for ya…" Link smiled and showed the trader his golden gauntlets, which could let Link lift- and throw- something that weighs over a ton. The shopkeeper stared enviously at the shining gloves. He immediately understood Link could carry the things easily.

"Alright, then…have a good day, lad." Link picked up the box and shifted it to one arm, and left the shop.

* * *

Outside, the clouds were beginning to gray, getting heavier and heavier with rain. Link was disappointed. He couldn't make it to the forest before the rain. He would have to stop at Kakariko and spend the night if he wanted to stay dry. He headed toward the drawbridge of the market and went out into Hyrule Fields.

Link set down the box and took out the Ocarina of Time. He called Epona, his beautiful red horse with the special tune Malon had once taught him. Link heard a whinny far away, and then the sound of galloping hooves and Epona ran towards him. She stopped in front of her Master, lowering her head to let him pet her. Link smiled, running his hand down the smooth, soft nose of his horse, and thanked her for coming so quickly. He picked up the box and strapped it to her back behind his saddle. He mounted her, and then they rode off towards Kakariko.

The rain came a lot sooner than he predicted. He was about halfway to Kakariko after riding for an hour, and he felt the first drops of water on his skin. He looked up…and the rain began to suddenly pour. Link cursed himself for not leaving sooner. He dismounted Epona and took out a cloth to cover the box with the shields. He was about to mount his horse again, but he saw something in the distance. He looked closer, wondering what it was…and recognized it with dread. It was the strange man he had seen earlier.

The man looked even worse than he had seen him before. His clothes were in rags and cuts covered his skin, but he seemed to not mind. He still had that scary smile on his face. His eyes were an unnatural glowing red. Link had a bad feeling in his stomach. This man was going to attack him, he just knew it.

Link whispered to Epona, telling her to ride off towards Kakariko and wait for him. She was reluctant to leave her master, but she obeyed him, running off into the distance. Link focused on the hostile-looking man again. He unsheathed his sword, preparing himself for an attack.

"What is your name?" Link shouted to the man. The man didn't answer; perhaps he hadn't heard him? Link started walking closer to him. The rain poured down, clouding his vision. It was turning night now, since Link could see stars in the sky. But they didn't shine out enough to light the ground. It was nearly impossible to see the man now. Link tried to talk to the man again.

"What do you want from me?" he cried. The man said no answer…except now he was walking towards him. The man's frightening smile was growing wider. The fog from the rain seemed to follow him as if he was their master. The man stopped when he was about twenty feet away. Then, the man looked to his left and into the night sky. Link followed his gaze, trying to see what he was looking at.

Suddenly, the ground was lit up by the night sky. The moon, glowing with its pale whiteness, shined out in the darkness. The man looked back at Link again. He strangely started laughing, starting out quietly, and getting louder. The man laughed victoriously. Link, with a sinking feeling, suddenly knew why this man was laughing.

The freakish laughs suddenly turned into cries of pain. The man was covered by the pale light of the moon, almost as if he was attracting it. Suddenly, the man started…growing. His back curled up and then ripped out of his shirt. The man's legs grew long and thin, and he actually stepped out of his shoes that were once tied. Then his face changed. His face turned into a long snout, teeth pointing viciously. His hands turned into wicked claws, his feet turned into paws. His clothes fell off of him; he no longer needed them…he was a werewolf.

Link was shocked, and actually started feeling scared. Who knew how long this man was a werewolf? Why had he come after Link? All the hero knew was that this thing was terribly dangerous…and he had to kill him.

The werewolf's transformation was complete. But strangely, it was whimpering, as if it were a scared little dog. Link cautiously stepped closer to it, trying to see if it would attack or not. But then suddenly, the monster howled into the night. Link stepped back again. He knew it was about to attack. He was right.

The werewolf began to sprint towards him. Link clenched his shield and sword tightly in his hands, bracing for impact. Link began to charge towards it as well, ready to swing his sword. They both met at the same time. Link's sword slashed across its chest, but its claws hit him, too. Link fell backwards, pain surging in his chest. He struggled to get back up, but the thing tackled him again. Link tried to keep his shield in front of his face so the demon wolf couldn't bite him. He stabbed his sword out from underneath the wolf, causing it to jump off. Link quickly got to his feet.

The werewolf was wounded now, and definitely angrier. It bore its teeth at Link, growling and barking. Link still winced from the scratches on his chest. The pain burned like fire. But Link tried to ignore it, focusing on killing the demon. Link charged at it again, stabbing the wolf in the chest. It howled in pain, and snarled at him. It kicked Link- and his sword- out of its chest, and began to sprint towards him. It charged into Link, knocking both his sword and shield from his hands. Link couldn't reach them if he tried.

So he wrestled with the werewolf, punching and kicking it. It pushed him back to the ground and tackled him. Link tried to kick it off, but he couldn't. Then…a horrible pain filled his neck. Link could feel part of his bone being scraped by the teeth. The werewolf…had bit him.

Link screamed in pain, but it gave him strength, adrenaline rushing in his veins. He pushed the werewolf off of him and stood up. He grabbed his sword and plunged it into the heart of the wolf. It howled, but its voice began to quiet. It was dying. Link pulled out his sword fiercely and slashed it across its face. The werewolf fell down to the ground and stopped breathing. Link knew it was finally dead.

But the werewolf turned back into its human form. The man was naked in the dirt, his wounds still bleeding from when he was in his evil form. Then, the dead man's corpse burnt with an unholy flame, disappearing from the world.

Link gasped from both pain and exhaustion. He tried to call Epona to him, but he was too weak to take out the ocarina. He felt his own warm blood flowing down the side of his chest from his wound in his neck. Darkness filled his sight, even though the moon still shined. Link felt wave after wave of vertigo, and then finally couldn't take it. He fell to the ground and knew no more.

* * *

yeah yeah i know...werewolf in a legend of zelda story...not exactly the most original idea. but i will _make_ it original, for me at least. heres a warning... this story isnt exactly for the faint of heart. there will be tons of death and stuff...so...yeah. 

Note: the personalities of the characters in this story will be different from my other story, so dont be surprised if you notice Zelda isn't a bitch in this one :) please read and review, I would really appreciate it.


	2. Scars

Chapter Two: Scars

Link woke up and screamed in pain. He opened his eyes and saw grey sky above him. He felt movement underneath him and realized he was on a stretcher. Someone was carrying him to somewhere but he didn't want to think about it. He only felt the horrible pain coming from his neck and a bit from his chest. He felt like he was still bleeding. He didn't even remember what had happened to him. Thoughts swarmed around in his mind.

_How did this happen? Why am I hurt?_ _This pain is so great…I'm so tired…Zelda…where are you?_

The last thought stayed in his mind. So he ended up screaming Zelda's name over and over again, crying out desperately to make her hear him. He was delirious. His pain flowed over him like water yet burned like fire. He fell unconscious again, unable to take the pain.

The soldiers who had found him outside of the castle had picked up the hero from the stretcher. They had observed his wounds, and the local medic said his wounds were too bad for her to heal. So they had no choice but to take him to Zelda. Everyone now knew she had magical powers, not even caring where they had come from. No one knew she carried the Triforce of Wisdom. Some people thought the beautiful girl was the daughter of Nayru herself. It explained the lack of a mother, her magical abilities, and even her beauty. But the King had refused to tell the public why his wife had died, he was so depressed.

Zelda came rushing in the main hall of the castle when they saw the soldiers enter. Impa ran closely behind her. The soldiers took Link to the medical wing of the castle. They picked him up and set him on one of the many beds. Zelda told them they could leave, and they went back to their work.

Link was, in fact, still bleeding. The medic who lived in the market square had estimated he had been attacked nearly six hours before, yet he still bled. Zelda and Impa couldn't understand this. The medic had patched up his chest and neck, but the blood soaked right through the bandages.

Zelda looked at her nursemaid. The Sheikah returned the princess's gaze grimly. They both knew medicine and bandages couldn't help Link. Zelda had to use her magic. Unfortunately, it was very tiring to heal someone, especially the horrible wounds Link had.

"I might faint after this…" Zelda estimated gloomily. She gently put a hand on Link's forehead, both to check his temperature, and to just make herself feel better. He was hot to the touch. No surprise. She had to heal him now. Zelda gently took off the bandages on Link's neck and chest, and nodded at Impa.

Impa made sure the door to the room was locked, and she pulled the curtains over the window. Though everyone knew of Zelda's power, she preferred not to be observed unless it was Impa or someone else she trusted.

Zelda put both her hands in the air over Link's chest and closed her eyes. She calmed herself and brought her power to the surface. A small ball of golden light appeared under her hands. She focused; the sphere began to grow larger. The bleeding began to slow down as the power flowed into him. Then, the bleeding finally stopped. The scratches on his chest disappeared completely…but strangely the wound on his neck did not. Four little circular indentations from the mark were still there, as if the healing had done nothing to it. Zelda remembered there had been smaller indentations with the four before she healed him.

"Impa…" Zelda called her guardian with a puzzled look on her pretty, pale face, "Look at these four marks here. What does this look like to you?" Impa obeyed her mistress, observing the quad of marks. She leaned back up and replied.

"Teeth marks. The indentations were made with the canines. The holes are slightly curved inside, and are larger than the other ones had been." Zelda nodded, and then sat down in a nearby chair, placing her head in her hands. Impa looked at her, worried.

"Are you all right, Zelda?" she asked, her face showing concern. Zelda lifted her head.

"I'm fine, Impa…the healing always makes me feel tired and dizzy. I'm alright." She replied. She rested her head again. Impa watched her for a few minutes more, and then left Zelda to care for Link.

Zelda closed her eyes, but opened them immediately when she heard her name.

"…Zelda?" Link repeated, weakly. He tried to lift himself up and of the bed, but collapsed from weakness. Zelda quickly got up and pulled the chair to his bedside. She smiled and held the hero's hand.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked. Link looked at her and smiled.

"I don't know. I'm guessing you healed me, eh? Since I'm not bleeding anymore…"

Zelda nodded and squeezed his hand. He weakly squeezed back. He stared at her, just glad to see her. But Zelda noticed something that almost broke her heart. His beautiful blue eyes that used to always hold life in them…They were dim now. It was like he was dying or something, even though he wasn't. Was he?

"Can you remember what happened last night?" she asked Link, changing the subject slightly. Link's smiled immediately erased. He looked away, trying to remember.

"No…I cannot."

A soldier suddenly burst into the room. He obviously hadn't cared Impa had locked the door, so he had broken it. He looked out of breath. Zelda immediately stood, and the soldier bowed.

"Your Highness! We've just received a report from Kakariko…eight people were attacked and killed last night. The markings and wounds from them were all fatal…but they looked like they were mauled by an animal. A very large animal, I might add. We heard some howling in the distance, but it was too big to be a regular wolf, Highness." Zelda let this sink in. She suddenly looked at the mark on Link's neck, and then thought about this information. She pieced them together.

"A Wolfo." She said suddenly. The soldier had a confused expression on his face.

"A…what, your Highness?" he asked. He obviously didn't know what they were. _I should order their generals to teach them about these things,_ she thought to herself.

"A Wolfo." She repeated. "They are enchanted wolves that Ganondorf created…they are known to attack people when threatened, and they are slightly larger than regular wolves." The soldier nodded.

"Your wisdom is great, your Highness. That makes perfect sense. I shall alert my captain right away." He bowed to her, and left the room.

Zelda shifted her attention to Link. His eyes were wide with fright.

"Link! What's wrong?" she asked, surprised. His hand slowly drifted up to his scar on his neck. His breathing was irregular.

"I know what happened last night…"he whispered. He looked up at her and grabbed her hand. He was shaking with fear.

"It wasn't a Wolfo!" he cried. "It was a werewolf! A WEREWOLF!" he was screaming it now. Zelda took this to be Link getting delirious again, and tried to calm him down. He wouldn't shut up, so Zelda reluctantly put a spell on him to make him go to sleep. His screaming subsided, and his hand slid away from Zelda's. He fell asleep. Zelda got up from her chair and left the room, taking one last look at Link over her shoulder.

* * *

She climbed the many sets of stairs to get to her room, and gently shut the door. She saw her book she was reading earlier laying open on her bed. She sat down on her bed and picked up the book, reading the title. She then set it down again.

_What if Link wasn't getting crazy right there?_ She asked herself. _What if…what if it really _was_ a werewolf? Because Wolfos don't go on killing sprees, do they…I guess that same Wolfo attacked Link. But can't he easily kill him? I just hope Link will be all right. I'll read this book more,_ she thought as she set it on her nightstand. _Maybe I'll learn something useful once I get to the section about werewolves. _With that, she touched her miniature Gossip Stone, which told her it was four o'clock in the morning. She sighed, feeling tired all over again. Zelda climbed in bed and fell asleep, unaware she would wake up later from a nightmare.

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sorry for the shorter chapter...hope u people dont mind. please read and review :) i appreciate it.  



	3. The Book

Chapter Three: The Book

Link opened his eyes. He looked around the room, remembering he had been brought here for Zelda to heal his wounds. She obviously did a good job…except his scar on his neck still was there. A faint feeling of pain still radiated from the strange wound.

He remembered that Zelda had said a Wolfo had killed all the people that night…It had fit the description given by the soldier, anyway. But Link knew that no demonized canine had attacked the soldiers. Well, perhaps one had…but it wasn't from the hands of Ganondorf. He knew it was a werewolf. Because he had fought it and had slain it himself. So the werewolf had to have killed the people…no. That was impossible.

Link suddenly realized that werewolf hadn't killed those people. A werewolf can't transform twice in one night, can it? This was very strange. So maybe a Wolfo really had attacked…but don't they live in the forest? It couldn't have traveled that far. There was no way.

The blonde hero decided to talk to Zelda about this. He sat up from the bed and carefully walked to the door. He couldn't find anything to cover his bare chest, so he just shrugged and exited. The halls of the castle were practically empty. He knew were Zelda's room was, so he climbed the many staircases. Once he reached the door, he gently knocked on it.

"…Link? Come in…" Zelda called out, her voice filled with concern. Link wondered why she was like that…maybe she thought he wasn't ready to move around yet. Link opened the door and then closed it behind him. Zelda was reading a book in one of her favorite chairs. She looked up and set the book down, smiling.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked her. Zelda's smile grew into a grin.

"I can sense you." She said simply. She looked him up and down. "Are you alright? Feel sore or anything?"

"No, thanks to your healing," he replied. Zelda nodded, saying a murmured "good".

"Except…my scar…it sorta hurts." Link said slowly. He reached his hand up to touch it again. Zelda turned around to place her book onto her nightstand. Link brought his hand down…and saw blood staining his fingers. His eyes widened.

"Zelda!" he cried. She turned around and gasped. She quickly called Impa to fetch some bandages, wherever she was.

"That wasn't bleeding just a second ago…"Link said, confused.

"I know." Zelda said, worrying. She looked into Link's eyes, pure seriousness on her face.

"This is no ordinary wound, Link. That Wolfo that bit you…it must have been diseased or something, since it killed so many people…" Link sighed.

"Zelda, I'm not kidding. It wasn't a Wolfo. It was a _werewolf_." Zelda shook her head, disbelievingly. Link began to get impatient.

"Zelda, I've lived with them around me! When I was a kid, in the Kokiri Forest, they were around. They were there. And Wolfos don't go on random killing sprees!" He grabbed her shoulders for emphasis. "You have to believe me!"

Zelda said nothing. She still didn't believe him. Link felt frustrated. Usually Zelda was the type of person who would always believe him, whatever he said. But now, she doubted him. What was wrong with her?

Impa came into the room with bandages and handed them to Zelda. She cleaned up the blood from Link's neck and what had dripped down his back and chest, and then gave the bloodied cloth back to Impa. Zelda closed her eyes again and began to heal Link. The bleeding ceased. Zelda and Link both thanked Impa for her help, and then the hero thanked the princess for healing him.

Once Impa left the room, Link went back to his argument. In a desperate attempt, Link walked over and picked up the book and began to look through it.

"Link, what are you doing?" Zelda asked. Link didn't answer. He still looked through the book, flipping through the pages. He finally stopped, and then handed the open book to Zelda.

"Read it." He said angrily. "Even if you don't believe me, maybe you'll find something interesting. Zelda carefully took the book from Link's outstretched hand, and read the title of the chapter. _Werewolves._ Zelda let out an exasperated sigh, but she began to read out loud.

"_Werewolves are some of the most frightening and dangerous monsters to exist. They cannot multiply by mating, for werewolves are not fully animals. They are humans who have received the curse from a bite. At day, they are normal people. But on nights with full moons, they have no choice but to painfully transform into their werewolf state. _

"_While in their cursed form, the people will attack anyone they see. But one form of werewolf, one of the most powerful, will have a certain target in mind. They shall kill everyone they meet, searching for that single person. Once they meet them…they shall attack."_

Zelda paused and looked up at Link. He was staring at his bite on his neck. He rubbed it, trying to ease the pain that couldn't be healed. Zelda looked down again and continued.

"_There is one other way to receive the curse. Powerful magicians have learned how to take the poison from a werewolf that it uses to inject the curse from a bite. The poison can become a liquid, but it is impossible to hide in food. The only ways to take the poison is to either inject or pour it directly into the bloodstream, or to ingest it. Once the poison is inside the body, it cannot be removed. Not even magic can remove it. The body absorbs it right as it enters, so that's why there is no cure."_

Zelda found a bookmark and put it in the pages, and then closed the book. She would definitely finish the chapter when she had time. But she was worried. Very worried. She walked over to where Link sat on her bed and sat next to him. He, too, seemed worried.

"Link…did a werewolf…really attack you?" she asked. She couldn't help her voice that trembled.

Link didn't answer. He was still angry she hadn't believed him. She held his hand in both of her own.

"Link, I'm so sorry I hadn't believed you. I really am." Link stayed silenced, but he looked at her. He finally spoke. His face was grim.

"You know…the book said the werewolves inject the curse with a bite. And…it bit me."

Zelda's eyes widened in fear. She hadn't thought of that! Link could have the curse! But Link said otherwise.

"Zelda, I don't think I have it. If I had really killed those people in Kakariko…don't you think they would have found me there? Because those soldiers found me near the gate, and that's where I was when I fainted. Epona and I were on our way there. We had just left when we saw the man. Anyways, if I had turned into a werewolf, don't you think I'd remember it?" Zelda squeezed Link's hand absently, thinking.

"Maybe you're right," she decided. "Maybe since you're the Hero of Time, and the goddesses themselves chose you, maybe you are just so strong, that you can resist it. And your scar…maybe my magic just doesn't heal scars. So you're fine, Link. Don't worry about it. Maybe a Wolfo really did attack those poor people because of some weird reasons."

Maybe.

* * *

sorry for such a short and boring chapter...there will be some more things happening later. review :)  



	4. Nightmare

Chapter Four: Nightmare

_The moon shined bright overhead. He heard the screams of terror from his prey, and his blood rushed through his veins lustfully…he could smell blood in the air, and heard the pumping of rushing hearts in his ears like thunder. The air soon began to fill with the almost-sweet stench of death as he ended lives, one after another. Pouncing, biting, clawing at his prey, he just couldn't stop until everyone in sight was dead…_

Link woke up, gasping. Sweat drenched his body and the sheets of the bed, and he found he had tears in his eyes. He sat up and held his head in his hands, trying to breathe.

After a few moments of trying to steady himself, he climbed out of bed, trembling. He turned to his left and picked up a small glass of water that a nursemaid had prepared for him the night before, and drank it down. It did not satisfy his thirst. Sudden waves of nausea came to him, so he sat down on the side of his bed. He put his head in his hands again.

He shivered as chills ran up and down his bare back, so he reluctantly stood again. Trying to ignore his aching head, he searched for something to keep him warm in the darkness. He bent over on his hands and knees, and wondered where the hell that stupid nursemaid had put his shirt…

Suddenly, a strange warmness and calming sensation came to him. He slowly stood, and tried to look around in the darkness. He turned to the window that was near his bed, wondering if the window had opened. It wasn't, and he shook his head, not understanding.

A soft, warm hand touched his own, and he turned to see the princess looking at him with sympathy.

"Bad dream?" she asked quietly. Link turned away, a little bit embarrassed. Zelda's other hand gently touched his face, turning him to her.

"Look at me," she said. "You don't need to be ashamed. You've just been through a scary experience. You don't need to be ashamed at all…" She paused, looking into his eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern when she noticed his reddened eyes.

"You've been crying?" she asked. Link turned his face again, his cheeks burning with fire.

"No! I-I mean...I've just b-been…having trouble…sleeping," he finished lamely, even though it was true. Zelda rolled her eyes, smiling good-naturedly. She gripped his hands comfortingly.

"Here, Link…let's sit down. You can tell me about your dream. It's usually good to talk about it anyway…to get it out of your system." She led him back to the bed and they both sat down on the edge. Link held on to Zelda's hand, and rested his head in his other hand. The princess noticed this, and she touched his head. The headache slowly faded away, and Link lifted his head and looked at her.

"You didn't have to do that," he told her.

"I know. I had a choice, and my choice was to ease your pain," she replied.

"So? Sometimes I need to get through things myself."

The last comment set Zelda off. She yanked her hand out of his grasp, and immediately arose from the bed.

"You don't want my help? Is that it, Link!? Because I know this isn't something you can do alone, even if you just _happen_ to be the chosen hero and everything. There are still things that you just can't do by yourself!" She stopped speaking, breathing a little bit harder. Link sighed, and stood up.

"I'm sorry, Zelda. You know that I didn't mean anything by that." He tried putting his hands around her waist, but she backed away slightly. She looked at him challengingly.

"Prove it." She whispered.

Link pulled her closer to him, and he looked down at her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I need you, you know I do. I just feel that maybe if I try to get by without too much help, then it will make me stronger. Just please try to understand. I love you, and I guess I do need you to help me, even if there will be times where I feel I won't."

Zelda, thankfully, accepted this. They sat down again. The princess slowly ran her fingers over the deep scars on Link's neck and his chest. She shook her head, wondering why all the worst things happen to the best people in the world. She looked up at him and smiled sadly, stroking his face.

"You can tell me anything, Link. How about this dream?"

Link returned her gaze, but he looked…sad. He said nothing, and slowly shook his head. Zelda's eyes widened slightly, and she gasped, feeling hurt. She slowly stood up, and backed away. She shook her head in disbelief. She walked out of the room, closing the door the little room.

Link looked back at her sadly as she had left. He wanted to beat himself up for not telling her about his dream. It was almost like…he _wanted _to suffer from the nightmare and the terror of it all, and he didn't know why. The realization of what he had just done came back in waves, and he felt the tears building up in his eyes again. He tried to control it, tried to fight it, but he failed. He fell apart and sobbed, trying to console someone, not knowing if he was wishing he could say it to Zelda, or if he was trying to console himself with the empty words…_I'm sorry…I'm sorry…  
_

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Sorry this is so short, people! I've been gone since forever ago, so just ignore the fact that this chap was so short and boring...I'm just trying to get my whole writer's thing going again so I can start putting some "quality chapters" up in the future for this story. Please, just bear with me (or is it "bare"???? lol) and be patient...I'm too young to die! REVIEW!!!_  
_

Oh yeah, to you insane fan-girls...yes, Link was SHIRTLESS!! XD


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